Academics Overview

Welcome to Lowell Elementary, Home of the Dragons.

We are reconstructing our website, and in the meantime have posted information from our CSIP (Continuous School Improvement Plan). Check-it out to see what Team Lowell is up to.
Team Lowell is dedicated to addressing the needs of the whole child, including academics and social emotional learning. Here are a few highlights:

Professional development inRULER, Second Step and Up-Standers anti-bullying curriculum, classroom management and restorative justice with key focus on building positive classroom culture for learning.

Academic Learning
Continued focus on rigorous and relevant instruction that aligned with the Common Core Standards and differentiated to meet the needs of all Dragons. This year we have a laser focus on reading.

Adult Learning/Culture

Expanded professional development in collaboration through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

Continued professional development in data collection/analysis and MTSS and tiering of students for support
and implementation of our common assessments (e.g., SBA, MAP, Fountas
and Pinnell, reading, sight words, phonological awareness, math pre- and
post-assessments and exit tickets)

Professional development in research-based instructional and social/emotional/behavioral practices

Systems Implementation

Continued professional development in role/responsibilities of the Building Leadership Team and the application of our Decision-Making Matrix

Creation of transformational teams to build opportunities for teacher leadership and voice in decision making

Continued
professional development in MTSS
to address academic and social/emotional learning of students

Increased clarity and transparency around adult expectations and accountability, and ties to the Danielson Framework

Continued master schedule with daily team planning time

Development
of professional development calendar that supports our goals of
becoming experts in guided and shared reading, and in experts in
creating classroom culture.

Instructional techniques:

Advanced Learners

Identifying resources, projects, and activities to support students in going deeper into content and standards

Professional development in differentiation andways students demonstrate understanding

Students with Disabilities

Aligning IEP goals and teaching targets with Common Core Standards

Developing individual student schedules that clearly define when and where services will be provided including general education inclusive experiences

Collaboratively providing general education inclusion experiences for all students

Students who are English Language Learners

Continue with systematic pull-out based and in-class IA supports

​Professional development for all staff in research-based practices for providing services to students who are Ell

Students of Poverty, Homelessness, and those who have experienced Adverse Child Events (ACEs)

​Continued professional development in trauma-informed practices

​Tiering of counseling supports through the Wellness team

Tiering of Family Support Worker supports through the Wellness team

Continued Food Pantry delivery of weekend meals

Continued partnership with the Best Starts Grant

How we willmonitor student learning on a regular basis through our integrated MTSS framework

Common assessments for literacy and social emotional learning:

MAP testing fall, winter and spring

Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark assessment at least three times a year

Weekly, teacher-developed exit tickets

Create Collaborative Classroom assessments

IEP data collection tools

Office Disciplinary Referrals, Behavior Screeners, and office vision

Weekly Professional Learning Community (PLCs) meetings

Five-times a year comprehensive MTSS meetings to review student data and services

Steps to strengthen our core academic program

Developing expertise in shared reading and guided reading:

Professional development in unpacking the ELA adoption and scope and sequence

Professional development in shared reading and guided reading

PLC data analysis and MTSS tiering

Developing expertise in classroom culture:

Professional development in classroom management and restorative justice

Professional development in de-escalation strategies

Professional development in roactive/positive approaches for addressing student social/emotional learning

PLC discussions of cultural competency and MTSS tiering

Extended-Day Learning opportunities

Jump Start for Kindergarten

Team Read for second and third graders, 2 days a week (potentially expanding to 4th grade)

A
teacher leader organized a staff-family Task Force to discuss
homework. The Task Force read research articles, discussed options, and
developed our homework plan. The focus is on homework as communication
– through homework, parents/guardians will gain information on what
their students are learning at school.

The Communicatorwill go home every two weeks. It includes:

What students have been learning

How these skills can be supported at home

Work samples and photos of specific activities

Attendance Initiative

Incentives for daily attendance

Meeting with parents about absenteeism and tardies

How school improvement plan directly aligns to our district strategic plan

Continue our work in reading achievement and social emotional learning through the “Year of Relationships” and the “Year of the Standards” based on the Superintendent’s message, “Eliminating opportunity gaps and ensuring educational excellence for each and every student is the issue of our time.”